Staff Sensor Lead, Emerging Technologies

ŌURA; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 217,000 - 255,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health insurance

Oura Ring

Paid time off

Holidays & wellness

Parental leave

Job summary

ŌURA is seeking a Staff Sensor Lead, Emerging Technologies in San Francisco to drive architecture, specification, development, and characterization of optical, temp, motion and inertial sensing systems for next-generation wearable products.

You will partner with hardware, firmware, algorithm, and product teams to design robust motion sensing pipelines, influence sensor roadmap, and impact platform strategy while reporting to the Director, Hardware Sensing from our SF office.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in motion sensing, inertial measurement systems, or similar sensor design roles.
• Experience with optical, temperature, microphone, accelerometers, gyroscopes, MEMS sensors, and low-power embedded interfaces.
• Strong background in sensor characterization, signal quality analysis, embedded systems, and data integrity practices.
• Excellent analytical problem-solving and written/verbal communication skills.
• Collaborative mindset with experience across hardware, firmware, and analytics teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve sensor architectures for next-gen wearable platforms.
• Lead integration of optical, thermal, motion sensors into hardware and validate performance.
• Collaborate with firmware, algorithms, and systems teams to feed motion data into signal processing stacks.
• Develop test methodologies, analyze sensor data, and drive corrective actions.
• Coordinate with sensor vendors and manufacturers for mass production readiness.
• Produce clear technical documentation and present findings to leadership.

Skills

Motion sensing

Inertial measurement

Sensor design

Embedded systems

Data integrity

Job description

Our mission at Oura is to empower every person to own their inner potential. Our award-winning products help our global community gain a deeper knowledge of their readiness, activity, and sleep quality by using their Oura Ring and its connected app. We've helped millions of people understand and improve their health by providing daily insights and practical steps to inspire healthy lifestyles. Empowering the world starts with living our values and empowering our team. As a quickly growing company focused on helping people live healthier and happier lives, we ensure that our team members have what they need to do their best work — both in and out of the office.

As a Staff Sensor Lead, Emerging Technologies at ŌURA, you will drive architecture, specification, development, and characterization of optical, temp, motion and inertial sensing systems for next-generation wearable products. You will partner closely with hardware, firmware, algorithm, and product teams to design robust motion sensing pipelines that unlock high-fidelity metrics, improve activity and gesture detection, and enhance user experiences. This role blends deep technical execution with cross-functional influence, impacting ŌURA's sensor roadmap, performance outcomes, and long-term platform strategy. You will be reporting into the Director, Hardware Sensing and reporting out of our San Francisco office.

What you will do:

• Sensor Architecture & Design Prototype, Incubate, define and evolve motion and inertial sensor architectures (optical, accelerometers, gyroscopes, IMUs, temp sensor etc.) for novel new low-power wearable platforms. Translate sensing requirements into robust hardware specifications aligned with product goals.
• Development & Integration Lead integration of all sensors from optical, temp, motion and related sensors into ŌURA’s new hardware, ensuring calibration, noise management, power efficiency, and high-quality signal acquisition. Design and execute sensor characterization and validation tests from prototype through production.
• Cross-Functional Leadership Collaborate with firmware, algorithm, and systems teams to ensure accurate motion data feeds into Oura’s signal processing and machine learning stacks. Contribute to product planning and sensor roadmap discussions based on performance feedback and technology advances.
• Testing & Validation Develop and maintain rigorous test methodologies, metrics, and automation frameworks for motion sensor performance evaluation. Analyze sensor data to diagnose edge cases and performance bottlenecks and define corrective actions.
• Supplier & Partner Coordination Engage with sensor vendors, partners, and manufacturers to assess technology options, secure components, and optimize integration into mass-production workflows.
• Documentation & Communication Produce clear technical documentation of sensor designs, trade studies, test plans, and performance metrics. Present findings and recommendations to engineering leadership and cross-disciplinary stakeholders.

We would love to consider you for this role if you have:

• 10+ years of experience in motion sensing, inertial measurement systems, or similar sensor design and integration roles.
• Experience with optical, temperature, microphone, accelerometers, gyroscopes, MEMS sensors, and low-power embedded sensor interfaces.
• Strong background in sensor characterization, signal quality analysis, embedded systems, and data integrity practices.
• Excellent analytical problem-solving and written/verbal communication skills.
• Collaborative mindset with experience working across hardware, firmware, and analytics teams.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity packages
• Health, dental, vision insurance, and mental health resources
• An Oura Ring of your own plus employee discounts for friends & family
• 20 days of paid time off plus 13 paid holidays plus 8 days of flexible wellness time off
• Paid sick leave and parental leave

Region 1 (San Francisco, CA): $216,750 - $255,0000

Oura is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Individuals seeking employment at Oura are considered without regard to age, ancestry, color, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, protected family care or medical leave status, race, religion (including beliefs and practices or the absence thereof), sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. We will work to ensure individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.